Derby winger Holmes to miss ‘several weeks’
Derby boss Phillip Cocu has confirmed winger Duane Holmes will be sidelined for "several weeks" with an ankle injury.
Holmes has been a regular under Cocu with Derby this season, featuring 28 times in the Championship, but they must find a way to cope in his absence.
The 25-year-old limped out of Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield with just 29 minutes on the clock after injuring his ankle.
Derby sent Holmes for further assessment this week and Cocu has confirmed he will need some time off to fully recover.
Cocu said: “We have lost Duane Holmes, who will be out for several weeks. To lose a player like that at this stage of this season isn’t something that we can enjoy, but it does give someone else an opportunity to impress.”
Providing an injury update on Duane Holmes… 💭
“We have lost Duane Holmes who will be out for several weeks. To lose a player like that at this stage of this season isn’t something that we can enjoy, but it does give someone else an opportunity to impress.” pic.twitter.com/BtiKm7hmii
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) February 19, 2020
His form at Pride Park after joining from Scunthorpe in the summer of 2018 led to recognition on the international stage with the USA last summer.
The winger has earned two caps with The Stars and Stripes and would have been in contention to add to that tally when they face the Netherlands and Wales in friendlies next month.
However, his injury could rule him out of contention for the double-header on European soil, while his unavailability for Derby is also a huge blow.
The Rams have improved during the second half of the season, following Wayne Rooney’s arrival, and harbour hopes of making a late push for the play-offs.
